Mikuni Carbuertor SUCKS gas / Carburetor Swap To CV Carb 

Nice video. I've got a hsr42 mikuni on my 1974 rigid shovel and I'm very happy with it. Super response, run fast and at normal rides it doesn't use much fuel. I will not swap! Cheers from France!

There’s a fine line between performance and fuel mileage. If you dump too much fuel you’ll take the engine out. Too little fuel you will over heat the engine and take it out. My 2003 sportster 1200 has a CV carb on it. Was always just slightly a little bit lean from new. If you left the choke out 1/8” it ran perfect. So this year I finally took the top off the carb pull the needle out of the slide and install a .025 thick washer on needle and reinstalled. So now engine gets slightly more fuel. I adjusted the idle mixture screw to about 2 1/4 turns out and set the idle at 1000 rpm. Runs great. Oil temp in tank was 195*F at 90*F air temp. Now it runs 10*F cooler at 90*F/185*F. I also use 20W50 Amsoil. Mileage stayed the same and the mid range performance is better more responsive. Fuel mileage is about 60 mpg (Canadian mpg) US probably about 50. Pipes and air cleaner are stock from factory. Scooter tramp Scotty had a video on the carb. I followed his advice worked out great

im just a backyard do it yourself guy. No official training. I went to the local expert in town when i went to swap carbs out. Good ole boy, been working on bikes for longer then ive been alive. Has a repair shop and his own parts shop. He helped me select the mikuni carb you are talking about. I experienced a loss in fuel mileage and a terrible noise. He explained how a flat side carb works, then pressed in on the slide and the noise disappeared as promised. Then he took and adjusted what i believe is called the accelerator pump rode so there was a space the width of a nickle between it and the throttle lever. He explained that from the factory the rode rides on the throttle lever, so every bump that may make your had twist even the smallest amount it dumping a bit more fuel in which is just going to be wasted. Since my bike is a hard tail, every bump in the rode had this effect on my bike without me even realizing it. After that, he took my pilot jet from a 25 to a 22.5 and took needle adjustment shim up a notch allowing my need to go further down. Now my fuel mileage is about back to normal and i still seen 6 hp and 8tq gain on the dyno. This is just my experience, may be something to play with yourself.

I owned a 1975 Kawasaki Z1-900 which I installed four 32mm Mikuni's. I now have a 2001 Kawasaki ZRX1200R which sports 36mm Keihin Constant Velocity carburetors from the factory. Before you guys give my rice grinder a hard time; I Love World Superbike. I love Harley Davidson cruisers too; I am a motorcycle man.

I subscribed when you were explaining “ I have these parts and I don’t know where they came from” , good channel. Good presentation, great topic.

Nothing sounds like a carbureted Harley awesome 👏. Great video!!!!

Another excellent video and I love that you take us on the test ride after you finish the project. it's kind of like you want us to check it out with you. I also love the way you talk us through all the projects and you give us some history and knowledge

I'm glad to see your videos, they are amazing. With that music is very easy to dance so well!! Congratulations for your Heritage & job. Carlos from Spain.

Parts here, parts there, parts everywhere....I love to see you make things work how you want! Keep up the dancing!!!!

I learned to really like the CV 40 carburetors every bike I ever had had ether a Bendix or a Linkard until I got the 02 Twin cam and rebuild the CV 40 carburetor on it. I sold the twin cam to buy a 98 FLSTF and rebuilt that CV carburetor too. I hate S&S carburetors I never had one on my bikes but I must have put 40 of them on others guys bikes for them they are a pain to get set up the first time.

Great commentary....your a knowledgeable Harley guy one can fall back on for repair help....vids...bring em on!

Awesome persistence , it paid off . Sounds great & runs smooth , just like you anticipated !

Love the dance,shows just how much you really enjoy the music, never have had a Harley,but can see the love,& pleasures of working on them especially when it seems to hit perfectly, been in automotive all my life but it’s kind of the same as when you put a nice cam , a good carb & headers on a old Chevy,& it bumps so good I can get the same dance !!! Been looking for a Harley & you’re videos are helping me decide what to look for,thanks & later.

I'm a mikuni carb guy, I have one on all three of my bikes. A Dyna, Heritage and Roadking. When tuned they're by far the best.

You mentioned Tatro Machine a couple times. In the last couple years Tatro Machine has become a popular RU-vid hangout for bikers.

I have a 1982 Yamaha Virago 750 and I converted it to use that same carb. Works like a charm.

Channel keeps getting better. Keep at it, brother!

Well done done very handy. Love my evo, stock with pipes and s&s airfilter, done! Ride safe man...

One of your best videos. You keep getting better. Love it! Plus you have shown us how creative your mechanic skills can be. Saddle Tramp Custom Cycles Rulzes.

My evo hard tail had a mikuni on it when I got it and i put on a cv on it I had laying around and am completely happy with the cv. Good job on your videos and keep them coming

I like the Linkert on my 57, in the 90's we'd hit altitude an everone was spittin an poppin. I just gave her a couple clicks an of id go! New sub an appreciation for dumpin twin cam

Even though I don't wrench on my bike very much I do enjoy watching your videos and the way you explain stuff interesting. Love the sound of that bike.

I WAS about to buy a mikuni carb.. and i saw your video. changed my mine for the best thank you

Love the channel! Totally agree with you about newer bikes. I wrench a bit as I have an 1980 Shovelhead that needs care and feeding to keep it happy. But I wouldnt get rid of her for anything! The EVO is, in my humble opinion, the best motor they've made thus far. Has that great sound, like my shovel, which to me sounds like the beat of horses hooves. I have a Twinkie Road King for when me and the wife ride 2 up, but she has her own bike too and its a Shovelhead! Love your atitude about riding. I'm no longer a member of the "go fast" crowd either since I became "re-citizenized" a couple years back LOL. We love the 2 laners and back roads. You discover so much more on them than just blasting down the interstate. BTW I've got an S&S Super E on my Shovel and it works great. It's a really old one, but I have found it to be really easy to adjust and maintain. Looking forward to your future vids!

Haa! good job my brother! Yer perseverance pays off with the joy of success and the (way obvious!) satisfaction you get from that well behaved and great sounding engine!

Just found your channel. I have a 93 FLHS that I put Screamin' Eagle heads w/9.7 C/R, MSD ignition with 3 ohm coils and a V Thunder 244/244 .580" lift cam with a heavily massaged CV with 50 low jet and 200 main. Gets 40 mpg and revs to the moon. Has 50k miles on a rering and has 7% leakdown. I had lifter noise until I put a 1/8 inch spacer on top of the pressure relief spring for the oil pump and raised the pressure to 40 psi at idle. I run 10w40 in cool weather. Enjoy your new ride.

one of your video's just came up so I watched it. It was your newest one & I liked it very much, very interesting!! I then went back to the video where you made the trade. I enjoyed that and have watched the others, forward to the newest. I subscribed to your channel and look forward to all your video's! I own a 2005 Ultra Classic & although it does have the fuel injection ect., I still feel the same as you do regarding prefering the older bikes over the new or newer. I hope to, as you, to learn as much as I can so I can do at least the basic repairs or more if possible. Thanks for the inspiration! Enjoy...

Check the jets on that CV, should be 42 pilot-175 main. Change the needle to H-D Part No. 27094-88 (Old sportster needle) to get rid of the off idle lean condition. If not already done pull the idle mixture cap and adjust for best idle (start at ~ 1 1/2 turns out from all the way in). When turning mixture screw all in to bottom be gentle. Should get almost 50 mpg and good acceleration throughout the throttle range. The Mikuni is a great carb. too. Needs 17.5 pilot jet-160 main(HSR42) 175(HSR45) and a 50 accelerator pump nozzle. Hope this helps, these are Joe Minton's Tips, He wrote the Mikuni tuning manual. You can get it free online.

Hi Saddle Tramp like your site. I have been riding scooters 58 years now getting harder but you live the life you love and riding is something i hope i won,t have to stop. But for myself Harleys and Mikuni carbs mix, i know the gas is a problem but i like Mikunis and trust me i have played with a lot of carbs on Harleys i not going to bad mouth the one most riders use if they change out there carb on the new bikes. Myself i haven,t had a new scooter in 20 years. I have a stable full.... Keep up the good site.......

Sounds good. Glad I found your channel! Good stuff.

Sounds amazing!

Great video dude, I took my softail Evo out today (Instead of my twin cam or triumph 1700) and loved it!

I’ve been wanting to put a mikuni carb on my evo! Thank you for the video

since I just got the same bike as well ... I have a feeling I will learn a lot from you ... thank you man! great video! ... I know what you mean man ... you want a smooth ride and a good smooth ride and not a freakster dragger ride... same here bud ... thank you for this video ... kind of funny too.

Thanks. The last bike that I had before this one, my '05 R.K.Custom was a '51 pan... Needless to say, it's like comparing apples to oranges. I wish that I your garage!!! I don't have anything like that to turn wrenches and living in N.J. makes it a pain in the ass in the Winter. Anyway, someone dumped about two cups of sand in my gas tank. I had no idea for about a thousand miles. It sandblasted the CV carb and made garbage. After much ado, I bought a 42mm Mikuni. Now I too get 25 - 30 mpg. Ofcourse, while the bike was down, I changed out the cam plate & the crappy tensioners and a new oil pump that came with the "Screaming Eagle" was put in. I'm gonna binge watch your videos before I spend another penny on this bike...! I'm happy with the performance but I definitely am stopping for fuel a lot more. Once again, Thanks!

12:56 - I do this when the wife says we’re having tacos. Great video. Nailed it with those mad skills!🤘🏻

You make some interesting video's. Thanks for posting!

A nice and teaching video. A gentlemans work. Thanx for sharing dude! J/Sweden

Well done, exactly right about the mileage as well, but I am a big fan of mikuni carb, they are very consistent.

This is a great video man. Story. Music. Harleys. Great video work too. It's got it all. Dare I say PERFECT??? 😂

Sounds nice and smooth

That beautiful potato potato potato potato sound!!!! Makes my heart race just hearing it. Great video and sounds brother!!

Good job, enjoying hanging out in your garage, have a blessed week my friend

Hey! Just stumbled across your channel! Great content! I'm gonna go through the rest! Keep em coming!

Sounds great. Your like me and I've been riding for 40 years. My is 99 heritage custom softail /w stage 2 kit and CV carb. It runs great. I also have 07 ultra classic/ w stage 2 kit. Which runs great. Been thinking about adding a sidecar on the bagger /w live suspension. I just come across a few of your videos lately and the one with trade for the heritage impressed me. The newer harleys, I wouldn't own one.

Man, I am glad I found your videos. You are some kind of great bike mechanic. I think instead of selling parts you should keep them and open your own shop. Ride Safe

My lord, your home just sounds like my 1977 superglide! I referred to the sound like horses galaping! I don't know how ya spell it but ya know what I mean...

Yea, I did that same dance with my 88 FXR when I figured out the problem with it, bad intake, had tiny itty bitty nick in the intake mount point to the head.

The sweetest sound of a Harley is a evo motor

Nice production. I get what your driving at. Some like speed, as I was addicted to once, but now it's the long-range rides that beg me to the roads. A well-tuned motor lasts for a long time. Speed comes at a cost. If I want that I hop on the 84 Motoguzzi LeMans 1000. Thanks.

Man I love the lope on that hog! And no it ain’t just you when things go wrong. I’ve rewired some auxiliary lights on my hog 3 times before I got them right. Just is what it is brother.

Sounds nice! The Mikuni on mine is a 38 VM. I get real good gas mileage with it. Course it is on a Shovelhead.

Loved that idle !!!

hi saddletramp, all the way from isle of lewis scotland, been spannering and building bikes since i was 14 , love the vids , keep goin. TCC

I remember when a friend of mine bought one of those mikuni carburetors for his 93 dresser and he also was not happy with the mileage. I'll stick with my CV carburetor it does okay. So many people I know they talk up the SNS or the mikuni. I had an SMS years ago this was before they had an accelerator pump I never got used to that. I had an SU and if I knew more about it I probably could have made it work well but I can make a CV work good I have found that using a Sportster needle one that was used in a CV carburetor prior to 1988 I think that's the part number year. As it has a very narrow taper throughout the shaft gives real good mid-range acceleration. This is the first time I heard you talk about Keenan. As I watch his channel also I picked up a lot of good pointers on how to set up a shop and also work on bikes through him and his videos. It's surprising that a carburetor could make a motor vibrate more but.

Enjoy your videos,you seem to be a pretty cool dude,keep up the good work

looking good and love the persarvarence you have, thats what it takes to conquer the beast

Thank you for making this video. I was undecided about removing my Mikuni carb. I just want to ride not worried about speed. I bought a bike that already had the Mikuni Carb. i just ordered a CV carb. cant wait to try it out.

I had my Mikuni HSR42 as lean as you can possibly get it (17.5 pilot, -98 needle, 50 squirt, 165 main) yet 36-38 mpg was the best it got fuel economy wise. I went back to the Keihin and am looking at achieving 50 again. I'm all about fuel economy since I ride with guys that have 6 gallon tanks. My bike is 100% stock and even has the stock cam, mufflers and airbox.

Thunder in the back ground, now some thunder in the foreground!

When the engine backfires at the intake the engine is running lean, very lean, when it backfires through the exhaust the engine is running rich. Very rich.

Great sounding bike

I went crazy on my Pan Head A Dellorto side draft with accelerator pump and a morris magneto. Rigid frame Springer front end 12" over. Only ran it once wide open, scared me to death.

Well done. I like the original bars.

i had a CV carb {stock carb} on my 1989 FXLR lowrider.. i changed the stock pipes with the x-over to a set of pythons & re-jetted the CV from the stock 42 to a 50 main jet & adjusted fuel mixture, it ran great until i sold the bike 13 yrs later! to be honest, i regret selling that bike, very reliable , drove it to Sturgis a couple of times, plus the eng was rubber mounted and that made it a great ride!

Great video. Love the bike.

I have a 92 softail with over 80000 miles smokes a bit but still runs like brand new!! EFFE!!😁

My buddy just traded his mostly stock Sportster for a super-customized, very high performance Sportster. I noticed his carb didn't look like what he had or what I have. Now I recognize it, it's the Mikuni. He is constantly complaining about how his acceleration in the first few gears is like a rocket and he still can't get used to it. He didn't do his homework and bought the rocket on an impulse. Now he has a tiger by the tail. Be careful of what you ask for. Another great educational video. Thanks!

Sounds real good

Now I know why they call it a steel horse, it's that damn tune

ST I I fully agree . I have 2003 XLH 1200 Anniversary ,it has a CV and I rejeted with 6sigma and my friend has a 2001 XL 1200C with 42 Mikuni and open pipes on a 54 mile run he used twice the gas I did .. and now he is facing some costly repairs . and I am still running smooth , so I am running stage 1 and he is running the stock custom with Mikuni , so I agree its easy to over carburet the stock motor .. once you cross the line you loose more then you gain .. great video dude ...

I love the CV carburetor. They really do give you better mileage. I had the Makuni on mine before. Well I had two on it before. One 45 running the front cylinder one 45 running the back. Took some patience setting them up. But, when you're putting out 166hp & 160 ft pounds torque. You're not really worried about gas mileage. I went to a large bodied "Woods" CV carb. Best of both worlds. Super hp & great mileage still up over 160hp & over 40 miles per gallon.

That Evo sounds good. Sweet scooter.

I am currently running a CV on my 93 FXDL...pulled it off a couple of months ago and cleaned, then re-jetted to a 45/180 and trimmed the slide spring a loop (also a Head Quarters Rumble Stick camshaft)...did a 700 mile trip a few weeks ago, straight through ride at 70-80 mph most of the way....I figure I am getting around 45 mpg if I can keep from twisting the throttle open further.

Well A-L-R-I-G-H-T....gotta love that Eighty Inch EVO rap. You got her right, she clears her throat and settles right down.

Wish I could subscribe 100 times good stuff man!!

Just found your channel. I love it man!!!

I as a Dutch fxr evo rider love those video's,also ride a hardtaild kawa z 900 .

It's probaly me! Always happens to me aswell. I've got 2 mukunis, one new the other needs a rebuild. I like the throttle response, but yeah gas goes fast!

sounds great

Great video man. I really enjoy watching you wrench and explain.

Hey I'm a new sub. So I'm 33 I have a 2018 Road King Special .. yes its a new bike... Ive tuned it up with an upgraded oil pump, cam plate , cam, lifters and push rods . I'm familiar with electronics. The bike is pretty much how i want it. Well recently i Picked up a 2005 Sportster Roadster XL1200R for $1600 maaaaan this thing had everything wrong with it. Had to rebuild the brakes fix some wiring , i had to replace the outer primary cover , new bars , and rejeted the cv carb. Ill tell ya what, i love my Road king, but theirs nothing like a Carbonated Harley ! I love that damn sportster! i just wish it was an old fxr Low Rider... me being 6'1" and all... hey man great channel!

ive found that the 80ci motors with loud exhaust perform great not fouling plugs with 162.5 main jet and 37.5 pilot the step down on pilot did the trick for me ..better gas mileage too

Thanks for sharing your information if I was in your part of the country I'd ride with you

As an owner of a 1997 Flstf all I can say is KICK ASS !! The Klein CV is a solid carb. I had a stock issue Makuni on mine. Went to an S&S 111 Evo style engine. With the stock S&S carb. Power for days. But it will never have that Potato Potato yours does.

I've done that dance in my driveway more than once!

I know what you mean about the right potatoe potatoe rhythm . When my harleys are runnin right I also do a rock type dance movement. The base drum beat. The latest 97 fatboy I purchased 8 days ago didnt have the right beat, until I timed it at the nose cone and turned that module to the left which retarded the engine down slightly. So that fatboy evo isnt timed by any scanner or lught but I know at age 64 and tons of experience when the BEAT is right and is followed by a non hesitating throttle rev . Then when I get that If there is no black smoke out of my drag pipes then I KNOW ITS RIGHT. In my collection of movies the top movie is Billie made in 1965 with patty duke in where she becomes the champ in the HS track team and she would always say You have to have the BEAT. Your harley and my fatboy are the style I will ride for life. I listened to that engine as you rode your bike on the highway and know its RIGHT and the right harley to own. It will last you for as long as you live because it will never go out of style and everything is totally rebuildable.

Totaly wrong my friend, I run a Mikuni HSR on both my HD's, one a 42mm and the other a 45mm both around 50mpg on a run. That thing just needed setting up right.

You’re gonna be great man

The right carb can make the difference, like trotting through town on a horse, or bucked through town like a bull rider on a bucking bull!

Nice dance moves bro

Thinking about putting the stock exhaust and pipes on my twin cam 88 fxdwg. I don’t need the loud noise and be nice if the mileage went up. I get 40 on the interstate and 50 on slower two lane highways.

The CV-40 that comes stock on The KLR 650 comes on some Harley's it's 100% reliable and easy to jet properly they wouldn't use them if they didn't work nicely a rebuild kit is like 12-17$ being cheap to maintain.

Dude I just found your channel and watched your video swapping bikes and now this one. Love the channel.

Ride on - good show.

Job well done! Unfortunately I haven’t had any experience with a CV carb. Both my 1999 Indian Chief and my 1996 Heritage (with Fatboy fenders) have S&S Super E shorty carbs on them. Wonder what the difference would be...

Sounds like there is a cam in there. With the Mikuni, ignition and pipes, it wouldn't surprise me. I have a bone stock 95 FLSTN. Doesn't sound anything like that, pretty sure it is not just the pipes. I have a Mikuni in the drawer never take time to put it on. Rethinking that now.

Back in the day I swapped a TILLOTSON for a 38 Bendix (69 FL) then around 2005 I ditched the Magnetti (FI) for a Killer Keihen. Now love my twinkie again.....but gonna look for a deal on an EVO :)

Been riding Harley's since I was 17, I'm 64 now and still riding. I like this man's style and why he does the things to his bike. Never heard of a man trading off a newer bike for an older one just to have a EVO engine under him, but he did. Man, that is a lot of heart and a man that knows what he wants. My respect to you and your wife, keep on being yourself and have a good life

I was sold on S&S carbs with hi-flow air filter for a long time and got good performance from them. Now I'll stay stock until I start to lose performance then we'll make some changes.